Brent Lillibridge has tied Adam Dunn with 11 HR's for the season (4th most on the team behind Paulie, Carlos and Alexei). Oh, and he has done it in 197 LESS AT BATS.

I bet Lilli-BEAST finishes with more HR for the season than Dunn. I really like him in the two-hole and he's done a good job filling in for Paulie at first. Remember when he almost didn't make the team out of spring training?

doublem23

08-21-2011, 11:57 PM

I like him in the 2-hole as long as he is hitting, but he is still prone to long stretches of playing like Lillibridge and not Lillibeast

SoxThunder

08-22-2011, 12:08 AM

Regular Lillibridge is still better than Adam Dunn (offensively and defensively). I hope Ozzie keeps putting him out there.

I think a lot of Lillibridge's success this year can be attributed to the new Waste Management commercial he does on the scoreboard at the Cell. Do you remember the one from a couple seasons ago?

Zakath

08-22-2011, 12:11 AM

Interesting, since before today he hadn't had a hit this year batting second (0-for-4).

He's hit in every single position in the order, with small sample sizes in the 2-5 spots. Of the positions he's hit the most in, he's actually a pretty awful lead-off hitter (.179 this year, .148 lifetime) and for some reason doesn't hit well batting 7th (.120 this year, .108 lifetime). Much better out of the 6, 8, and 9 spots.

WhiteSox5187

08-22-2011, 12:31 AM

Brent Lillibridge has tied Adam Dunn with 11 HR's for the season (4th most on the team behind Paulie, Carlos and Alexei). Oh, and he has done it in 197 LESS AT BATS.

I bet Lilli-BEAST finishes with more HR for the season than Dunn. I really like him in the two-hole and he's done a good job filling in for Paulie at first. Remember when he almost didn't make the team out of spring training?

I don't think he did make the team out of spring training. Lastings Milledge was our fourth outfielder but the problem was he couldn't really play outfield. After he dropped two balls in left field against the Royals before the home opener he was DFA'd and Lillibridge was called up.

TDog

08-22-2011, 02:02 AM

I don't think he did make the team out of spring training. Lastings Milledge was our fourth outfielder but the problem was he couldn't really play outfield. After he dropped two balls in left field against the Royals before the home opener he was DFA'd and Lillibridge was called up.

Not quite.

Milledge played two games in left field, a total of 11 innings, finishing up in the April 1 win against the Indians and starting in the April 6 win against the Royals. He misplayed a ball in the outfield against the Indians and was not charged with an error. Attempting to make a running catch on a ball against the Royals, the ball bounced out of his glove. He was not charged with an error, unlike Teahen and Pierre who dropped fly balls in left the first week of the season. But, yes, there were two fly balls that hit Milledge's glove that he did not catch. He did not look good in left.

In the Royals game, he was replaced in left by Teahen, who dropped a fly ball that scored a Royals run and apparently put the game out of reach. Down by three runs and facing Soria in the ninth with two out and none on, Pierre singled, Beckham walked, Rios and Konerko singled and Quentin doubled. The double scored Lillibridge, pinch-running for Konerko, with the go-ahead run, and Lillibridge finished the game Milledge started in left.

Lillibridge replaced Milledge (and Teahen) in left field in Milledge's last game with the White Sox. He did not replace Milledge on the roster. When Milledge was designated for assignment, the White Sox called up pitcher Jeff Gray to take his place. That was the first roster move the Sox made after opening the season.

DonnieDarko

08-22-2011, 02:02 AM

I don't think he did make the team out of spring training. Lastings Milledge was our fourth outfielder but the problem was he couldn't really play outfield. After he dropped two balls in left field against the Royals before the home opener he was DFA'd and Lillibridge was called up.

The Sox couldn't have not started the year with Lillibridge, though. He was out of options. If the Sox didn't, then he would have had to have cleared waivers to have joined the roster.

soxfan1965

08-22-2011, 02:27 AM

Brent Lillibridge has tied Adam Dunn with 11 HR's for the season (4th most on the team behind Paulie, Carlos and Alexei). Oh, and he has done it in 197 LESS AT BATS.

I bet Lilli-BEAST finishes with more HR for the season than Dunn. I really like him in the two-hole and he's done a good job filling in for Paulie at first. Remember when he almost didn't make the team out of spring training? Brent's done an amazing job. Rosenbloom was impressed by him last April 12, "And that one run came on a home run by itty-bitty Brent Lillibridge, who weighs about as much as Adam Dunnís appendix". He's the team's swiss army knife. When they get a home run, he's Lillibeast. Circus catches? Thrillabridge. Speed? Lilliswift. Yes, sometimes there are some dull blades in the knife when he strikes out in clutch situations. But it's still better than the alternative. When he's done with first base, maybe he has to fill in the gap at second base for a time. And one more service for Lillibrdge Temporary Services (with subcontractors De Aza and Flowers) - job security, maybe he'll improve that for KW and Ozzie.

kittle42

08-22-2011, 10:57 AM

Brent Lillibridge has shown what he excels at - being a very good bench player and, at best, a solid platoon guy. It is very important to have players like that. He's like a much better Kotsay.

shes

08-22-2011, 11:36 AM

He's got the second-highest OPS on the team; it's team to stop using him as a "great bench guy" and play him every day. We're not the '27 Yankees; our offense is ****. Brent has been one of our most productive hitters and there's no reason for him to be only playing a few times a week at this point.

In a perfect world, he wouldn't play every day, but we score so few runs that the absolute best lineup needs to be on the field every day.

kittle42

08-22-2011, 11:39 AM

He's got the second-highest OPS on the team; it's team to stop using him as a "great bench guy" and play him every day. We're not the '27 Yankees; our offense is ****. Brent has been one of our most productive hitters and there's no reason for him to be only playing a few times a week at this point.

In a perfect world, he wouldn't play every day, but we score so few runs that the absolute best lineup needs to be on the field every day.

I would agree that he should play over Dunn everyday for the reasons you stated. But Ozzie won't do that. When Liilibridge was being played every day, his performance declined. Farmer and DJ pointed it out on a daily basis.

So agree that he should play every day only because Dunn is the worst offensive player in the majors. Disagree that he should play every day because of his numbers.

Chez

08-22-2011, 11:58 AM

I would agree that he should play over Dunn everyday for the reasons you stated. But Ozzie won't do that. When Liilibridge was being played every day, his performance declined. Farmer and DJ pointed it out on a daily basis.

So agree that he should play every day only because Dunn is the worst offensive player in the majors. Disagree that he should play every day because of his numbers.

This is a tough decision for Ozzie. Lillibridge and De Aza have both performed way beyond expectations and they should both be commended for the energy they bring to the line-up. That said, I believe that the only way the White Sox make the playoffs this season is for Adam Dunn and Alex Rios to return to form. If Ozzie plays Dunn and Rios full-time and they continue to perform at their current level (or even modestly above their current levels), the Sox obviously won't make the playoffs. But if Ozzie decides to give-up on Dunn and Rios and benches or platoons them both, I don't believe Lillibridge and De Aza will give us enough (though not for a lack of trying) to get us to the post-season. So while Dunn and Rios don't really deserve to be full-time players for the balance of the season, I think it's the only hope we have. Play them and hope they return to form. Just my opinion.

gobears1987

08-22-2011, 12:18 PM

What weighs more? Lillibeast or Dunn's batting average?

DonnieDarko

08-22-2011, 12:20 PM

He's got the second-highest OPS on the team; it's team to stop using him as a "great bench guy" and play him every day. We're not the '27 Yankees; our offense is ****. Brent has been one of our most productive hitters and there's no reason for him to be only playing a few times a week at this point.

In a perfect world, he wouldn't play every day, but we score so few runs that the absolute best lineup needs to be on the field every day.

As Kittle said, I think that Lillibridge has proven, if anything, that he's vastly better as a utility bench player than an everyday major leaguer. And honestly, that's fine. We need someone like that. Others have said that with skills like his, he can stay in the majors a hell of a long time if he keeps it up--and with less playing time comes less chance for injury, which makes it even better for him.

Yeah, I think that KW will soon make him a relatively rich man soon. Goodness knows that this year he's proven that he deserves a good contract. So far, he's proven that he deserves to be the best paid bench player in MLB, by far.

....But Brent needs a little more timely hitting. 11 HR and only 24 RBI? I was at the game on saturday and sunday and the scoreboard had his hit breakdown. I wanna say it was something like 4 doubles and 1 triple and the rest singles.

By no means am I knocking Brent and i'd definitely rather have him in the lineup over Dunn but if he can get some more extra base hits and a more timely hitting there's even more upside.

kittle42

08-22-2011, 10:16 PM

....But Brent needs a little more timely hitting. 11 HR and only 24 RBI? I was at the game on saturday and sunday and the scoreboard had his hit breakdown. I wanna say it was something like 4 doubles and 1 triple and the rest singles.

By no means am I knocking Brent and i'd definitely rather have him in the lineup over Dunn but if he can get some more extra base hits and a more timely hitting there's even more upside.

....But Brent needs a little more timely hitting. 11 HR and only 24 RBI? I was at the game on saturday and sunday and the scoreboard had his hit breakdown. I wanna say it was something like 4 doubles and 1 triple and the rest singles.

By no means am I knocking Brent and i'd definitely rather have him in the lineup over Dunn but if he can get some more extra base hits and a more timely hitting there's even more upside.

Uh, are you aware that he's slugging .509 right now, which would be 2nd on the entire team (behind only Konerko) and would be top 15 in the entire AL if he had enough at bats?

Not sure how much more you can really ask of the guy. Kittle's right, it's not his fault that 1/2 his homers come when there's no one on base because this team is ****.